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1900 Map of Fort Payne

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Fort Payne
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1907
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1907

About this map

Fort Payne sits at the heart of this Appalachian landscape, where the Alabama Great Southern R. R. follows the narrow valley between Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain. The map reveals an intricate network of river-based commerce along the Coosa River, documented through numerous crossings such as Tripp Ferry, Wood Ferry, and Adams Ferry. These points of transit, alongside the Rome and Northern R. R., highlight the region's reliance on both rail and water for moving goods and people between Alabama and Georgia.

Local industry is deeply rooted in the terrain, evidenced by the distribution of small-scale operations like Sauty Mills, Fisher Mill, and Sloan Mill. Farther south, the community of Center serves as a hub near the confluence of Terrapin Creek and the Coosa. Landmarks such as Manitou Cave near the city and the numerous mountain gaps, including Winston Gap and Beeson Gap, define the topographic challenges faced by early travelers and surveyors in the late nineteenth century.